OT: RIP Whitey Ford
Yankees pitching great Whitey Ford died at age 91. He was the second oldest surviving Hall of Famer behind Tommy Lasorda, who is 93.
We’ve lost a ton of Hall of Famers just in the last six months. Hope he gets to talk baseball with Bob Gibson, Lou Brock, Al Kaline, Tom Seaver, Don Larsen and all the rest of them in that great dugout in the sky.
October 9th, 2020 at 2:42 PM ^
Guess he's really singin' the blues now.
October 9th, 2020 at 4:29 PM ^
wondered how long it would be before someone made that joke..
October 9th, 2020 at 4:36 PM ^
First comment. But judging by the initial downvotes, I'm guessing a lot of people missed it.
October 9th, 2020 at 2:43 PM ^
“...And a barrage of pretzels now, knocking Whitey unconscious.”
-Vin Scully
In all seriousness, RIP to a helluva ball player.
October 9th, 2020 at 3:14 PM ^
that's the first thing i think of too
"hall of famer whitey ford now on the field... pleading for some semblance of order from the crowd.."
October 9th, 2020 at 3:32 PM ^
"...this is a black day for baseball"
October 9th, 2020 at 3:50 PM ^
"And the winner of the 1987 Pontiac Astro Wagon is sitting in seat zero-zero-zero-1, C. Montgomery Burns!!"
Boooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!
October 9th, 2020 at 4:15 PM ^
Years ago in my beer softball league we lost a tough game on a controversial call. Someone in the dugout had a bag of pretzels and I started mock-booing and throwing pretzels onto the infield and I said "Here come the pretzels". My finest moment.
October 9th, 2020 at 4:27 PM ^
And heeeeeeeeeere coooooooooome the pretzels!!!!
October 9th, 2020 at 2:45 PM ^
He still holds some World Series records including most wins for a pitcher (10) and longest scoreless streak (33 innings). One of the cornerstones of the Yankee dynasty of the 50s and 60s. His pitching style was the definition of being a crafty left hander. He admitted that late in his career he used to scuff the ball with his wedding ring or belt buckle and used a "gunk" composed of baby oil, turpentine and resin.
October 9th, 2020 at 4:29 PM ^
Wow didn't know that, sounds like Gaylord Perry stuff
October 9th, 2020 at 3:10 PM ^
RIP Chairman of the Board.
I always wanted to be Whitey as a kid but then Koufax came along.
October 9th, 2020 at 5:03 PM ^
Koufax was the hero of my childhood. Keep telling myself I need to meet him before one of us passes on.
October 9th, 2020 at 3:16 PM ^
RIP, Whitey.
October 9th, 2020 at 3:20 PM ^
HoF player and should be for Manager if he isn't already, those Royals teams he had were great.
RIP Whitey!
October 9th, 2020 at 3:34 PM ^
I think you're thinking of Whitey Herzog
October 9th, 2020 at 4:06 PM ^
Oh damn, you're right, I feel dumb now.
I always get confused by Whitey....
October 9th, 2020 at 7:52 PM ^
Such as Beaver Cleaver's friend Whitey Whitney?
October 9th, 2020 at 4:01 PM ^
That was Whitey Bulger
October 9th, 2020 at 4:09 PM ^
Wicked bad gangster, FBI informant, World Championship manager, big game pitcher, alcoholic.
He did it all!
October 9th, 2020 at 8:48 PM ^
They were both known as the white rat, ironically enough.
October 9th, 2020 at 3:47 PM ^
I honestly thought Whitey Ford had passed away several years ago. Kind of like earlier this week when I found out Bob Barker was still alive.
RIP Whitey. You were one heck of a pitcher.
October 9th, 2020 at 4:04 PM ^
The Chairman of the Board: the ultimate big game pitcher.
R.I.P. Thank you for bringing championships to my hometown, the Bronx.
October 9th, 2020 at 4:37 PM ^
We have a weirdly decent amount of people on this board from the Bronx.
Co-op City, checking in!
October 11th, 2020 at 5:12 AM ^
Wow--I lived in Co-op in the early 80s. I'm a Truman HS grad.
October 9th, 2020 at 4:16 PM ^
Since I can’t create a new post..Former Wolverine hockey player, Jon Merril, signs with the Detroit Red Wings.
October 9th, 2020 at 4:19 PM ^
HOF class '74
October 9th, 2020 at 4:19 PM ^
Whitey likely having a drink with Martin and the Mick even as I type this.
October 9th, 2020 at 6:46 PM ^
If there’s a baseball heaven, you know they have a hell of a bar.
October 10th, 2020 at 12:38 AM ^
Best post so far.....
Whitey picked up Mickey’s left change on a few bar-hopping nights and the amounts were legendary.....
RIP
October 9th, 2020 at 4:20 PM ^
I believe he's the only pitcher under 5'11" that's in the HOF. RIP Chairman of the Board.
October 9th, 2020 at 4:24 PM ^
I thought Whitey died like 20 years ago after getting hit by a barrage of pretzels. I mean, I've been calling 'em Whitey Whackers ever since.
In all seriousness though, RIP to a great baseball player. Another true Yankee great.
October 9th, 2020 at 4:29 PM ^
He's partying with Mickey again.
October 9th, 2020 at 5:37 PM ^
I love this Mickey Mantle quote
"...asked about the chemistry behind the friendship between him, the country boy from Oklahoma, and Ford, who grew up on the streets of Queens. “We both liked Scotch,” he said."
RIP to another baseball legend.
October 9th, 2020 at 5:57 PM ^
I wonder: have we lost more than the statistically expected number of hall of famers?
As such, I downloaded some data about the number of hall of famers per year (https://www.baseball-almanac.com/hof/hofmem3.shtml). The results:
1936 *****
1937 ********
1938 ***
1939 **********
1942 *
1944 *
1945 **********
1946 ***********
1947 ****
1948 **
1949 ***
1951 **
1952 **
1953 ********
1954 ***
1955 ******
1956 **
1957 **
1959 *
1961 **
1962 ****
1963 ****
1964 *******
1965 *
1966 **
1967 ***
1968 ***
1969 ****
1970 ****
1971 ********
1972 ********
1973 ******
1974 ******
1975 *****
1976 ******
1977 ******
1978 ***
1979 ***
1980 ****
1981 ***
1982 ****
1983 ****
1984 *****
1985 ****
1986 ***
1987 ***
1988 *
1989 ****
1990 **
1991 *****
1992 ****
1993 *
1994 ***
1995 *****
1996 ****
1997 ****
1998 *****
1999 *******
2000 *****
2001 ****
2002 *
2003 **
2004 **
2005 **
2006 ******************
2007 **
2008 ******
2009 ***
2010 ***
2011 ***
2012 **
2013 ***
2014 ******
2015 ****
2016 **
2017 *****
2018 ******
2019 ******
2020 ****
As you can see, the numbers vary (from 1 to 18 in 2006, when they included a number of overlooked players from the Negro Leagues). The average per year is: 4.2.
Thus, we might expect in any given year to lose roughly that many, with some variance (but a lot of factors go into the actual expected number).
The ages at death of the ones you mention, and the year inducted:
Bob Gibson: 84 (1981)
Lou Brock: 81 (1985)
Al Kaline: 85 (1980)
Tom Seaver: 72 (1992)
Whitey Ford: 91 (1974)
Not including old Perfect Don, alas, who died at age 90 but never made Hall of Fame.
So, alas, it seems like the expected amount, more or less. Of course, there is still time!
October 12th, 2020 at 9:03 PM ^
Came back here after the Joe Morgan thread. Man, this is some incredible work. Thanks!
October 9th, 2020 at 6:26 PM ^
If I was a more competent poster I would include here the picture of Whitey, Mickey, Billy Martin and Bob Grim drinking beer on a boat on an off day in the late 50s. Great picture if anybody else has the necessary skills and desire to post.
October 10th, 2020 at 5:42 AM ^
Here you go—it's a great shot, although it looks like Martin is holding a Coke bottle.
October 12th, 2020 at 1:17 AM ^
Thanks, Don! The story behind that picture is they were drinking beer all afternoon and the guy who took them out asked for a picture but wanted it wholesome (he wanted to use it for some marketing purpose) so asked them to swap out the beer bottles for Coke bottles. As you can imagine, Mickey was the least amused but played along. He's holding a clear Coke bottle too. Great picture.
October 9th, 2020 at 8:51 PM ^
I was always partial to the Mets, but Whitey Ford was a GOD to anyone of a certain generation from NY.
October 9th, 2020 at 8:53 PM ^
Hate to say this, but I assumed he was already with Keith Jackson.
October 10th, 2020 at 1:26 AM ^
The most “1940s Detroit Name” ever
October 10th, 2020 at 2:43 AM ^
My freshman year we had a new high school baseball coach who said he had a cup of coffee in the Cleveland minors and being the only left hander who could regularly put the ball over the plate, he dubbed me "Whitey" after my first win. The name stuck with me for four baseball seasons, but luckily (and gratefully) it never really caught on off the field. I got to see Whitey take down the Tigers twice at Tiger Stadium and (unlike me) he seemed practically unhittable at times. Watched him warming up along the old sideline bullpen and I was surprised how short he was compared to the other pitchers. Hated the Yankees, but he was a helluva a pitcher.